QuarterGod Grandchild of Poseidon and Athena
by StarPotterTwilightHunger
Summary: My very first Percy Jackson fanfic! I loved the original books when I was younger. SO disappointed when the film series fizzled. Anyway, here is a brand new tale I came up with regarding Percy and Annabeth's child. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Annabeth Pregnant

**Chapter 1: Annabeth Pregnant**

 **Percy's POV**

I race into Cabin # 3, Poseidon, at Camp Half-Blood. Inside, I find my girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, sitting on my bunk. At once, I become concerned that she looks almost….. depressed.

"Hey, honey." No reply from her. "Grover…. told me you wanted to speak with me?"

Annabeth nods and - to my distress - begins to cry. "I'm pregnant."

The bottom falls out. I feel dizzy, as though Zeus just struck me with the lightning bolt he still thinks I stole when I was 12. Or how I get after watching Chuck Norris beat everyone up during an episode of _Walker: Texas Ranger_. Either way, the lightheadedness that suddenly overtakes me is anything but good.

I clear my throat, and try to not allow my voice to come out in a squeak. "What do you want to do?"

Annabeth stares at me, almost bewildered. "I….. I want to have it. I mean…. of course I want to have it." It's spoken in a whisper, and I can tell she is shell-shocked. Gods, how long ago did she find out?

"OK….." I purse my lips, deep in thought. When none are forthcoming that seem good enough, I can only inquire, "Why?"

Wrong thing to say. " _WHY?!_ " Annabeth shrieks, standing from the bunk. She's terrifyingly beautiful when she gets angry, but all the same, I attempt to diffuse the bomb before it explodes all the way.

"Don't….. don't snap at me, Annabeth. I just want to hear your reasons."

She gawps at me, letting me know that I should stop digging my own grave while I'm ahead.

"…..Because I love you! Because I don't know how many more chances I'll have. And I don't know what we're waiting for - that's probably the main reason. Because I'd think we'd be great fucking _parents_ , Percy! And I just feel….. _humiliated_ saying these things to you because I know that you don't feel about having a family the same way that I do, so…. I guess that's that."

"No, that's not that," I counter, even as I try to avoid an argument before it comes roaring up. Probably too late for that. I sigh. "Look: if this is what you really want, then…. I will support you. That's what we've always done."

She regards me curiously, gratefully. Then, she asks something totally unexpected. "So…. will you marry me, then?"

I stare at her, several thoughts running through my mind. First of all, I don't know of any half-blood couples who have gone on to share a life together. Normally, our lives are so dangerous. Would Annabeth and I be the first? Second….

But Annabeth voices that second thought herself. "I…. I know it's traditional for the guy to ask the girl, even for descendants of the Greeks like us, but….." She smirks. "You can be oblivious sometimes, Seaweed Brain. It's not like I was holding my breath over getting a ring or anything like that."

I blink, and belatedly grin at her tease. "I will. I mean…. yes, I will."

Annabeth drapes her arms around my neck. "Good answer," she smiles, kissing me.


	2. Chapter 2: Our Big Fat Greek Wedding

**Chapter 2: Our Big Fat Greek Wedding**

 **Percy's POV**

Is it embarrassing to admit that I have _no_ idea how a Greek wedding works? Much less, one that takes place at a summer camp?

OK, the good news is nobody else seems to know the answer to at least that second question, either. If I wasn't such a laid-back guy, I would think it almost a travesty how quickly and haphazardly my marriage to Annabeth is thrown together helper-skelter in a matter of days. I have to laugh, though. Watching my fellow demigods plan randomly like this, even when they have no clue what they are doing, makes me glad to have them as my extended family.

It is not even a week after Annabeth proposed that the whole of camp is gathered in the Amphitheater where we normally hold our tournaments and chariot races. Only now, the center has been adorned with some kind of canopy. The table that Chiron and Mr. D usually eat at in the Big House serves as the altar. Even though I'm descended from Olympian Gods, I have never been a particularly religious person, so if this is a church, deal me in!

"It's supposed to resemble a Greek Orthodox Church," Annabeth explains to me, as if she could read my thoughts.

"Fantastic!" I grin, even though I'm nervous. I know nothing _about_ the Greek Orthodox Church. "Will you walk me through it?"

"Every step of the way,"Annabeth beams, adding to her beauty in the simple white dress she wears. It's not exactly a bridal gown; she and her Athena siblings had to work with what they had, and under duress at that.

And apparently, as the ceremony begins, the first step involves….. a kiddie pool. I stare at it, tuning out Chiron's greetings, the We Gathered spiel, blah, blah, blah.

"Percy!" I snap out of it, raising my head to Chiron. "I need you to strip."

I gape, letting out an awkward laugh. "But I just changed."

"You need to be baptized before you can be married! It's your lucky day to be baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church!" He says this like it's something to be proud of, and I can actually hear fellow campers behind me giggling. I look to Annabeth, and am grateful to note that she looks thoroughly mortified for me. I now shift my gaze to Grover, my Best Man, and he just nods almost frantically.

"Just do it, Perce!"

I sigh, and begin to strip down, ashamed that this is even happening in front of my wife-to-be before tonight, much less in front of the entirety of Camp Half-Blood. Somebody from the Aphrodite Cabin lets out a fangirl screech when I get down to my tighty-whities, and Annabeth sends the offender a look stonier than Medusa's head.

"And….. that's good," Chiron says quickly, before I can take off my underwear. "Step into the pool." I obey. "On your knees!"

I slowly kneel in the water. I feel the need to ask, "Is this a wedding or an arrest?"

"Pipe down!" Chiron barks. "This is serious!" He then pulls out an official-looking scroll and begins to read what sounds like gibberish until I realize it's in Greek. Then, he begins to produce strange, monotone moanings. "Ohhhhhuummmmm… Ohhhhhhuummmmmm…." Suddenly grabbing me by the hair, he proceeds to dunk my head into the kiddie pool. In between dunks, I can just make out the conversation Annabeth and Grover are having:

"Not so bad, huh, Annabeth?"

"Are you kidding? Any minute now, he's gonna look at me and go, 'Yeah, right, you're so not worth this.'"

Grover just looks at her. "Yes, you are," and he means it.

Finally, Chiron finishes and lets me out of the pool. "Back into your clothes," he orders. I leap out and try not to let the feeling of my soaked underwear, or my clothes being hastily put on my wet body, bother me.

The real ceremony now begins. Since I know the service is in Greek, I try using my ADHD to translate it, but I'm having a hard time. At certain points, Annabeth has to prompt me: kneel here, bow your head now, do this.

As Chiron drones on, I whisper to her, "This is really pretty, but what does it mean?"

She smiles, concentrating on what Chiron is saying. "OK. In a few minutes, we take our first steps as husband and wife." She beams and I smile back at her. This is almost over, and soon it will just be the two of us in my cabin.

Chiron finishes and I kiss Annabeth. The entire camp erupts into applause. I am bursting with happiness. I can't believe it. I'm married! Even better, I feel my body is almost dry!

I thought that last part too soon. I should have known the rest of camp would choose this moment to execute the Throw-'Em-in-the-Canoe-Lake tradition.

Still, it _is_ the best underwater kiss of all time.


	3. Chapter 3: Duel Over QuarterGod

**Chapter 3: Duel Over QuarterGod**

 **NO POV**

Miles away and above, the Olympians gathered at the top of the Empire State Building, their current residence, for an emergency meeting. Zeus called his brothers, sisters and children to order:

"It has come to my attention that demigod descendants of Poseidon and Athena married yesterday. What is more, young Ms. Chase is pregnant with Percy Jackson's child."

There was an instant uproar from the other gods.

"A QuarterGod?"

"This is an outrage! It's a blasphemous outrage!"

"Absolutely no precedent!"

"How romantic!"

"What do we do?"

"SILENCE!" Zeus bellowed, crackling his lightning bolt. Everyone else quickly shut up. "I decree….. that Poseidon and Athena be the ones to decide what is best for their children." He looked to the Sea God and Wisdom Goddess.

"Annul the marriage. And kill young Jackson and its fetus immediately!" Athena commanded.

Artemis and her hunters stood to attention. "We will hunt them down at your order, O Goddess of Wisdom."

"NO!" Poseidon bellowed, and he rounded on Athena. "You will not touch my son! Or his child!"

"Poseidon," Athena tried to point out calmly. "Let me explain something to you: I hate you. You hate me. But your son - a son who should never have been born, according to the Oath of the Big Three - has married one of my daughters! _My_ daughter! My Annabeth! And…. you're OK with this?"

Ares, up until now looking thoroughly bored, brightened at the Olympian tension. Needless to say, the God of War loved controversy. "Aw yeah! Time to start a war, baby!"

"Ares is right!" Hephaestus concurred. "We pride ourselves on tradition! And what do we do when our children break tradition? We go to war!"

"Exactly. Because it's tradition," Hera added. "And I, for one, have never liked the Chase brat anyway. Getting pregnant by another demigod? She should be punished!"

Hestia now held up a tentative hand: "I…. disagree. It's true some traditions should not be broken, but on the other hand….. some should. None of our children have gone on to create families of their own with each other, so how do we know it's dangerous?"

"Dude, Hestia is right. / Why must we have the child die? / Annabeth and Percy are cool." Apollo grinned like an idiot, waiting for applause.

Artemis just rolled her eyes. "Brother, can you stop speaking in haikus, please? Besides, that last line was 8 syllables, not 5!"

The argument just devolved from there, the Olympians dividing themselves into equal camps: Athena, Ares, Artemis, Hephaestus, Hera and Demeter for destruction on one side; and Poseidon, Hestia, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite and Zeus for sparing on the other.

Finally, Zeus called for silence again. "I propose a compromise: no harm is to befall anyone for the moment. But, brother," and here he turned to Poseidon, "I suggest you relay to your son our displeasure."


	4. Chapter 4: Families Change

**Chapter 4: Families Change**

 **Annabeth's POV**

I tearfully watch Grover read the parchment on which I found Percy's note. It's bad enough I'm pregnant and my hormones are going nuts as it is. The fact that I actually have a reason to be emotional? That's even worse.

"I've lost him again," I whimper. "I just got him back, and now I've lost him again! He's left me!"

"At least Percy gave you a reason for why he was going, and where," Grover tried to explain as he pointed to the note. "You didn't even have that much to go on when he was first exchanged to Camp Jupiter."

I raise an eyebrow. "And you think that's supposed to make me feel better?" I screech. Grover backs up quick.

"No, no. I'm just saying…. maybe it means he'll return some day. After this whole thing with the Gods blows over."

I huff. "Maybe."

* * *

Evidently, 6 months later, things with the Gods have still not 'blown over', because Percy still isn't back yet!

I have no choice but to go through the pains of labor alone. Well, that's not exactly true. Grover is of help, and the whole of Camp Half-Blood waits outside the Big House to support me and hear news of the birth.

At last, a little girl is brought into the world. I name her Hillary Georgia. Grover and Ares Cabin Leader Clarisse LaRue are named the godparents. As soon as she is cleaned up, and I have recovered sufficiently, Chiron gathers the whole Camp together to baptize my daughter. Since there is no known precedent for baptizing a child of demigods, Chiron decides to utilize elements from when demigods are claimed by their godly parents.

Raising my daughter to the heavens, Chiron makes up a baptismal ritual on the spot: "Descended from Poseidon: Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Descended from Athena: Artist Master, Crafts Inspirer, Mother of Battle Strategy. Hail, Hillary Georgia Jackson-Chase, granddaughter of the Sea God and Wisdom Goddess!"

Silence. Absolutely no response. No signs of a trident or scroll signifying her grandparents have claimed her.

"Is something supposed to happen?" an Aphrodite camper calls out. Gods, I always knew they were the dumbest of the us half-bloods.

"Of course not, dumbshit, none of this has been done before!" someone snaps.

Clarisse, for her part, rolls her eyes, at the lack of….. well, anything. "Chiron, what utter nonsense!" she scoffs.

Mr. D, meanwhile, turns to Rachel Elizabeth Dare. "Oracle, do you sense anything from the gods?"

Rachel Elizabeth Dare momentarily zones out, which we know to mean that she is receiving or giving Oracle prophecy. "I hear nothing," she finally reports. "Which I would take to mean that no news is good news! It's not like they have smote Hillary down with a lightning bolt, right?"

The whole Camp breaks into nervous laughter. I can only smile. Hillary is safe... for now.


	5. Chapter 5: Six Years Later

**Chapter 5: Six Years Later**

 **Hillary's POV**

The birds are singing as the residual smells of the ocean pull me out of sleep. Smiling at the sun shining through the windows of Cabin # 3 - Daddy's and Grandpa's cabin - I hop out of bed and quickly dress myself.

Camp Half-Blood is already teeming with life by the time I step outside. Then again, I would expect nothing less of my home. I live here year-round with my mother - she's a daughter of Athena - but summertime is the best because all the other demigods are here.

I'm technically not a demigod - Mommy says I'm a Quarter-God (whatever that is), but none of my extended family have made me feel as though I'm anything other than one of them. I see this in the way I lock eyes with my godmother, coming over to me from the Lava Rock-Climbing Wall.

"Aunt Clarisse!"

"Hi, sweetheart!" She gives me a hug. "Looking for your mama?"

"Uh-huh."

"She's teaching a class over on the sound. It should be over soon."

"Great! Thanks!"

Aunt Clarisse leaves me with a kiss on the forehead, and I continue on my way. As I pass by the Mess Hall, I run into the Stoll twins, Travis and Conner - sons of Hermes. Predictably for children of the God of Thieves, their arms are laden with food and other contraband. I raise an eyebrow at them. I can be pretty precocious for a six-year-old.

"Sssssh…" Connor whispers, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't tell Mr. D or Chiron!"

His twin winks, before bribing me with a roll in exchange for my silence. "On the house, Hillary!"

I smirk, deciding to let them both off just this once. "Efcharisto." That's Greek for Thank You.

"Parakalo!" the twins reply, before racing off with their treasures.

I move on, finally arriving on the peninsula looking over Long Island Sound. Even from far away, I can spy her. My mother. Her hair whips in the breeze as she spins with her blade. Drawing closer, I watch as she expertly disarms and incapacitates her opponent.

"…. And that, is how you do a reverse-thrust!" she concludes. Her pupils applaud in awe.

"Mommy!" I call happily. She spins around.

"Baby!" she squeals, and I leap into her arms. She cuddles me close, barely remembering to disperse her students with "Class dismissed."

Mommy carries me back across Camp. Now that she's with me, I can finally ask her what's been on my mind since last night. "Mommy? What was my Daddy like?"

I've been told my mother never liked to talk about my father when I was an infant. But now, she gets a sentimental smile on her face.

"He was the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea," she begins. I already know that by heart. "He was brave. Handsome. Occasionally, a lovable dolt, yet stubborn to a fault. You have some of that stubbornness in yourself. Along with his sea-green eyes. I used to call him Seaweed Brain."

I giggle. I've never heard that nickname before. "Mama, what does 'Percy' stand for?"

"Perseus. After the hero who slayed Medusa."

"And who saved the princess Andromeda from Cetus?" I ask.

Mommy smiles. "Exactly."

"Perseus is a very pretty name. I like it."

"So do I. Very much," Mommy laughs.

I pause, before then asking, "Will I get to meet him someday? Daddy?"

A momentary sadness flashes across my mother's eyes, but it is gone almost as quickly as it appeared. "We'll see."

* * *

That evening, Mommy and I leave Cabin # 3 at the sound of the horn. Time for dinner at the Big House. Blending into the crowd of campers, we soon spy a familiar face.

"Uncle Grover!"

My godfather turns at the call of his name. "Hillary! Annabeth! How are my favorite ladies doing?"

I should probably point out that my godfather is a satyr - half-goat, half-man. I know, it's pretty cool. Wanna know what's even cooler? He was my parents' best friend. Still is.

The three of us chat as he head up the hill to the Big House.

"Class was good this morning, Annabeth?"

"They worked hard today, Grover. I was very pleased. The Apollo kids are especially skilled."

"And did you help your mother today, Hillary?"

I grin at Grover's question. "You could say that."

We walk faster at the sound of the triangular dinner bell. When that peels, it means to hurry up.

"Come and get it! Meal's a-waiting!" a voice calls over the din.

The whole of Camp Half-Blood crowds into the mess hall. Following Grover, I take a seat with Mommy and her siblings at the Athena table. The theme for tonight's dinner? Apples. I can tell from the reactions around me that the campers are thrilled with the menu.

"Apple pickles!"

"Apple dumplings!"

"Could you please pass the applesauce?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Taking my seat, I start by taking an empty glass. Sticking some of my fingers inside of it, water begins to shoot out from the tips, slowly filling the glass. Being the granddaughter of the Sea God has its advantages. And so does being descended from the Wisdom Goddess, for I can silently perceive my mother's thoughts of amusement, mixed with careful caution, about my powers.

After Chiron, our Head Counselor's, orders to let the feast begin, I follow the others' lead as I pile my plate with food. I'm starving! I reach for an apple slice.

"Uh-uh," my mother admonishes me. "Haven't you forgotten something, young lady?"

I look at her sheepishly. I _did_ forget. First is the sacrifice to the gods. Before every meal, the campers throw a portion of their food into the fire, sacrificing it to their godly parent. As the Athena kids take their place in the forming line, I look up at my mother.

"Mama? Can I sacrifice part of my meal to Daddy?"

Mommy smiles at me sympathetically. "I wish you could, honey, but you can't. Daddy isn't a god. Why don't you sacrifice to one of your grandparents?"

That would be Poseidon. Or Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. As I reach the front of the line, I decide to go with the former. "Poseidon," I whisper, scraping part of my meal into the fireplace. The flames briefly glow sea-green, and the smells of the ocean fill my nostrils. I hope Grandpa is pleased with my sacrifice.

* * *

Later that night, Mommy tucks me into bed in Cabin # 3. "You want a lullaby tonight?"

"Yes, please," I reply meekly.

So Mommy recites a song I've sometimes heard her to sing to Daddy, to let him know she misses him: _"Far longer than forever, I'll hold you in my heart. It's almost like you're here with me, although we're far apart. Far longer than forever, as constant as a star, I close my eyes and I am where you are. Sure as the dawn brings the sunrise, we've an unshakeable bond - destined to last for a lifetime and beyond. Far longer than forever, I swear that I'll be true. I've made an everlasting vow to find a way to you. Far longer than forever, like no love ever known. And with your love I'll never be alone. Far longer than forever, much stronger than forever, and with your love I'll never be alone."_

I am not yet asleep when Mommy finishes singing. Just then, there's a knock at the door.

"Coming!" My mother goes to answer it. I can just make out her conversation:

"Whatever it is, Grover, it's a bad idea."

"You don't even know what I was going to say! Look, Annabeth, the campers are having a really important meeting at the Amphitheater and we need you there!"

Mommy sighs. "Oh, all right. Wait for me."

She turns back to me. "Get some sleep, darling. I'll be back before you wake up. Sweet dreams."

And closing the door, she's gone.


	6. Chapter 6: Want a New Generation

**Chapter 6: Want a New Generation**

 **Annabeth's POV**

I should amend what I said to Grover earlier: whatever it is, _it better be important._

And apparently it is, if the whole Camp is waiting for me when we arrive. As soon as I enter, everyone stands at attention.

"What is this?" I ask, genuinely curious.

Chris Rodriguez, son of Hermes, speaks first. "Annabeth: Clarisse and I have been talking - well, we've all been talking, with our significant others, I mean, and well... we want to start having families."

A few voices go up in agreement. I survey everyone, perplexed. "And this has to do with me _how_?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Clarisse takes Chris's hand. "You and Percy had Hillary. The Gods haven't punished you. So…. it must be safe for us demigods to have kids with each other if we so choose. Right?"

I shift from foot to foot, aware that all eyes are on me. "Well, I don't know. Hillary is still very powerful in the gifts she inherited from Poseidon and Athena. But she hasn't hurt anyone with them; she never would!"

"Exactly!" Travis Stoll pipes up. "So there would be no harm in us passing down our powers to our kids!"

"You can't be sure of that, Travis," Grover reminds him. "Chiron says there's a possibility that other QuarterGods might not be as powerful as Hillary. It could vary. And depending on which Gods they're descended from, it would be up to you to teach your kids how to use their powers, such as they are. Safety: that should be our number-one priority." He turns to me. "Annabeth?"

I realize this is my call to make - my decision over whether an entire new generation of Greeks can exist here in Western Civilization. I can only hope that I have not taken this right away from the Gods.

"I think..." I clear my throat. "I think... Grover's right. As long as we do it safely, raising young quarter-gods here shouldn't be a problem."

"Then, it's settled," Chiron nods from his seat of honor. "If the Gods wish it, you may all have families of your own... while keeping safety concerns in mind."

Almost instinctively, we pause, listening for a thunderclap that signals Zeus's approval. None comes.

Conner Stoll shrugs. "Like the Oracle says - no news is good news!"

The Camp cheers, and we break for the night to return to our cabins. I walk back alone to Cabin # 3. I should be happy, proud even, for soon Hillary could have other children like her to play with.

Only time will tell how this bold new social experiment will work out.


	7. Chapter 7: Percy's Coming Back

**Chapter 7: Percy's Coming Back**

I walk back into Cabin # 3. I can hear my little girl's snores emanating from the bottom bunk. Quietly pulling up a chair beside her, I just sit and watch her sleep, eyes full of love. Her life hasn't exactly been the easiest one, and I sometimes wish that I had the power to give her a normal life. But out there, where monsters roam, doing ordinary things for a child, like going to school or playing with friends, would be almost impossible.

Still, living here year-round can make one feel cooped up - cabin fever in the extreme. I've felt it, and though she would never admit it, I know Hillary has, too. Chiron was gracious enough to let us stay here, for me to home-school Hillary and teach her lessons about her Greek heritage. It is remarkable that either of us are even allowed to live in Poseidon's cabin, a privilege normally only allowed for his children - as is true for any God's mortal offspring. I couldn't live with her, much less try to raise her, in Cabin # 6, Athena's cabin - an abode crowded with between 12 and 15 of my siblings in the summer months. Although, in the winters, Hillary and I have sometimes moved in there, when it is practically empty due to my brothers and sisters mostly being enrolled in school or college. Malcom Pace, my brother and second-in-command, is pretty much the only person who might stay at Camp during the Christmas Break, and in such times he has given me and Hillary more than enough privacy. He doesn't have a family to look after. None of my demigod siblings do.

Sighing, I gently kiss Hillary's forehead and climb to the top bunk. At one time, it would have been occupied by my Cyclops brother-in-law, Tyson, but he hasn't been back to Camp since before Hillary was born. Flopping down on the mattress, I drift into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _I enter Poseidon's Cabin in a little black dress, ready for my date night with Percy. Stopping just beyond the threshold, I take in the small table for two, adorned with a white cloth and candlelight. In one chair is my boyfriend, looking dashingly handsome in a tuxedo. He gives me a winning smile. "Surprise."_

 _I laugh, and allow him to push my chair in for me. "Wow! You went all out, Seaweed Brain!"_

 _Percy's sea-green eyes twinkle. "Well, it is our anniversary."_

 _"Oh! That reminds me," and I pull him across the table for a long kiss. "Happy Birthday," I whisper when we break apart, passing a wrapped gift to him._

 _He laughs. "August 18th. It's getting to be a busy day." He unwraps his present, and laughs out loud. "A snorkel? Breathing underwater isn't exactly a problem for me, dear."_

 _I smile. "Well, I figured we can now do it in the Sound together without you showing off."_

 _He raises an eyebrow, amused. "If you think that's showing off, wait'll you see this!" He stands, pulls a remote control from his pocket, and clicks it. Slow music starts to play from seemingly nowhere, and he offers his hand to me. "May I have this dance, Daughter of Athena?"_

 _I eye him with a smirk, coyly accepting his hand. "Since when do you dance?"_

 _"Since Tyson taught me how."_

 _"_ _ **Tyson**_ _\- your half-brother who also happens to be a Cyclops - taught you how to dance?" I don't believe him._

 _"Hey, now, give him some credit! Actually, he's quite light on his feet for such a big guy." Percy takes me in his arms, and we begin to slow dance. The tune I hear around us seems familiar, at least the singer does:_

 _"_ _ **Never wonder what I'll feel as living shuffles by. / You don't have to ask me, and I need not reply. / Every moment of my life from now until I die / I will think or dream of you and fail to understand / how a perfect love can be confounded out of hand. Is it written in the stars? / Are we paying for some crime? / Is that all that we are good for, just a stretch of mortal time? / Or some god's experiment in which we have no say? / In which we're given paradise, but only for a day?**_ _"_

 _I suddenly recognize the voice and eye my boyfriend, amused. "Elton John, right?"_

 _"Can't beat the classics."_

 _"If by classics, you mean 'old-school'." Because, really, I haven't seen_ _The Lion King_ _since I was, like, five._

 _Percy suddenly twirls me, sweeping me off of my feet. "All right, you know what, just for that, I am going to send you straight to bed, young lady!" Laughing, he actually manages to grandly climb the ladder to the top bunk with me in his arms. We nestle onto the mattress, Percy propping himself on one elbow to gaze at me._

 _"I thought you'd like that song, you know. It's all about forbidden love. And I was thinking, Poseidon, Athena…. we kind of have that."_

 _I turn to him, smiling. "You know, I actually love it when you get all mushy, Seaweed Brain."_

 _"I'm a sensitive guy."_

 _And suddenly, we're kissing as though we cannot stop. Before I know it, we are tearing off each other's clothes, collapsing into each other's naked, sweaty arms. We begin to make passionate love….._

* * *

I smile at the dream. That must have been the night we conceived Hillary. Suddenly, I am yanked into the conscious world by something bouncing on top of me.

"Mommy! Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"Hillary….." I groan groggily, bummed that she interrupted my dream. "Go back to sleep….."

I feel her little body flop onto my back. "I just can't! The sky's awake! Which means Zeus is awake! So _I'm_ awake! So we have to _play_!"

"Go play by yourself!" I chuckle at her youthful logic, pushing her to the back of the bunk.

"I can't do that either. Besides, there's someone at the door," my daughter tells me helpfully.

"What?" I throw back the covers and hop to the ground. Opening the door, I am shocked to see Tyson standing on the threshold. One eye and all, he gives me a boyish grin.

"Hello, sister," he greets me. Well, I shouldn't have been surprised that he calls me that; I _did_ marry his brother. "I come with news from my father's kingdom." Then he drops the bomb:

"Percy's coming back."

* * *

 **A/N: So, The Lion King wisecrack was actually incorrect. The song actually comes from _Disney's Aida_ , a stage show which was also written by Elton John. **


	8. Chapter 8: Married Couple Catfight

**Chapter 8: Married Couple CatFight**

I hurriedly dress myself and Hillary in a fog. My husband is returning… after all this time, he's coming home…

By the time Tyson has practically pushed us out the door of Cabin # 3, other campers are flocking to the peninsula looking over Long Island Sound. Indeed, quite a crowd has already gathered on the shore, Chiron at its head. I follow everyone's gaze to a point on the water a few yards out; it seems to be bubbling and frothing….

"Look!" Will Solace, son of Apollo, points.

All at once, a figure rises out of the bubbling water. Jet-black hair, sea-green eyes…..

And there he stands. Just as beautiful as I remember him. A weary smile on his face, Percy Jackson - my invincible husband - strolls out of the Sound and into Camp Half-Blood.

As he approaches, the other campers part, making a path for me. Hillary is peeking in fear from around my legs, and Tyson is behind her, grinning like an idiot. Percy smiles when he sees me.

"Annabeth? Honey, I'm home!"

Everyone but me laughs at the obvious Jack Nicholson reference. All at once, the happiness I should be feeling at seeing him again dissolves into fiery anger.

I am barely aware of what I am doing as I rush at him, unsheathing my sword of celestial bronze. Percy's ADHD reflexes are the only thing that saves him, as he whips out his sword just in time. "Whoah!"

Back and forth along the sand we go, and it seems as though no time has passed at all. When we were younger, we practiced sparring so often that we memorized each other's favorite moves. Behind us, voices with various stages of emotion rise up.

"Annabeth! Stop it!" Chiron tries to order.

"I've got 50 drachma on Percy!" Grover practically squeals, as if watching a couple sort out their marital problems the ancient Greek way is actually fun.

"You're on, Goat Boy!" Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, accepts.

Meanwhile, my husband is managing to parry my blows, while desperately trying to talk some sense into me:

"Now, sweetheart, just…. calm down…. I know you're upset!"

"You're damn right I'm upset!" I screech, lunging into a thrust that Percy blocks with ease. "You left us!"

"I didn't want to! Dad made me!"

"Oh, so _that's_ how it is? You do whatever _Daddy_ tells you?"

"Hey!" - CLANG - "That's not fair! When a God tells you do something, you obey him, no matter who it is! You would listen to your mother, wouldn't you?"

"Don't even think about going there, _Jackson_!"

Percy moves quicker than lightning, spinning as he suddenly disarms me.

We are now in a frozen tableau - Percy's sword at my throat, and mine resting against the back of my neck. There's a pregnant pause as Percy struggles to catch his breath.

"For the record, the whole Jackson bit doesn't work; I seem to recall you took my last name when you _married_ me!"

I glare at him, knowing I am beaten. Furious, I whack aside the sword at my throat before lunging for him and kissing him full on the mouth. We full-blown make-out, my words tumbling from me every time I break away for air.

"Everyone said you wouldn't come back….. or that you were dead….. and I believed them…. Ooooo, I never want to feel that way again!"

Percy grins at me like a fool, obviously enjoying our long-put-off kissing. "Does this mean you apologize?"

"No!" I push him away with a growl. "Now, unless you plan on running away again, I suggest you come with me so you can meet our daughter."

Percy warily follows me back to the campers. As soon as he sees Hillary, he approaches her as if transfixed and kneels before her.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

Our little girl blushes. "Hillary."

A glorious smile lights her father's face. "Beautiful. Just…. beautiful."

"And you're my Daddy? I've been waiting for you."

Percy's eyes fill with tears and he nods. "I am. And you want to know something, Hillary? You won't have to wait for me anymore."

Hillary leaps into his arms, prompting the entire Aphrodite Cabin to suddenly burst into tears. I see a pissed-off Nico fork over 50 drachmas to Grover, while Chiron softly smiles.

Yup, this is Camp. This is home.


	9. Chapter 9: The End

**Chapter 9: The End**

With Percy's return, he informs us that Poseidon, Athena and the other Olympians decreed that QuarterGods are safe and thus, permitted. Apparently, Hillary was watched very closely over several years before finally being deemed not a threat.

Within a few years, Camp Half-Blood is teeming with QuarterGods. Walking through Camp, hand-in-hand with Percy and Hillary, I can see Clarisse and Chris's son, Damien, swiping extra knives for the dummy target practice he engages in constantly. Definitely a descendant of both Hermes and Ares. Will Solace's daughter, Jenna, is playing the lyre while waiting for a shield to be fully forged in the ovens - Apollo's gentleness combined with Hephaestus's gruffness.

And many more kids play and practice the art of being a hero, like their parents did before them, so that one day, they too will be worthy of their godly grandparents.


End file.
